by Simone Grey
I try not to let it get to me. Does it make me slightly uncomfortable having people care about my dating life? Yes. But I try to ignore it the best I can. After all this is a part of the package that comes with dating Liam. Therefore, I’ll take it.
Besides its not nearly as bad for me as it is for the actual celebrities out there.
Looking down at the screen I see that I have two text messages. One from Liam and the other from Natalie.
Clicking on Liam’s first I read it.
LIAM: Hey babe., I just landed. I’ll be at my place so come over after you get off. Drive the truck. I miss you so fucking much. I love you.
A smile pulls at the corners of my mouth and I get that warm fuzzy feeling every time he says ‘I love you’. I do roll my eyes at the mention of the truck. Before he left he tried to have his car service stay and drive me to work or anywhere else I needed to go. I refused so he left me the keys of his SUV. Initially I refused that also, but he sweet talked me into it. And honestly, I’ve found that I like driving the truck. I send him back a quick text.
Clicking on the one Natalie sent me I read it.
NATALIE: Hey girl, do you want to grab lunch with Sara and I later this week?
Natalie, Sarah, Lisa and I have gotten together a few times and I’ve really enjoyed spending time with them as well. Responding quickly to her message also, I put my phone away.
Wrapping up the last of things for the day. I grab my stuff and make my way to the exit of the library saying bye to Claire as I pass her in the hallway.
I’m almost to the door when I hear somebody call my name. I look over my shoulder and everything inside of me freezes at who I see.
Matthew King stands a few feet away from me. My stomach drops. Curly black hair frames a face that most consider handsome. I used to be one of those women that thought he was handsome.
Now all I see is ugliness in the form of a six-foot one man.
“What are you doing here?” I ask
He takes a few steps towards me.
“I wanted to see you. I was wondering if we could talk?”
“I have nothing to say to you. Have a nice life.” I turn on my heel and exiting the building.
“Ava, wait.” I feel him behind me before he even touches me. His hand grabs my elbow. I jerk away from him.
“Do not touch me,” I snap whirling on him. Anger is building up inside of me. Why won’t he leave me the hell alone? I was perfectly fine before he showed up.
He holds his hands up in surrender. It’s then that I see the bags under his eyes.
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to talk to you.”
“What do you want?”
He runs a hand through his hair before blowing out a frustrated sigh.
“I’ve been trying to get in contact with you for a while. I just wanted to say I’m sorry for the way I treated you back in college.”
I stare at him for a moment dumbstruck. “What?” I ask lamely.
“I was an asshole back in college. I was the man on campus, and I let myself be pulled into some ugly shit that I shouldn’t have. I didn’t realize how far I’d gone until recently when I had some…issues pop up. Anyways I just wanted to apologize to you in person.”
I’m struck speechless because god help me, I believe him. Unnerved and not wanting to continue this conversation any longer. “Oh, um well thanks for the apology.”
“You don’t have to thank me. It’s long overdue,” he breaks off into a fit of coughing.
My brows knit together and before I can stop myself, I’m asking him if he’s okay.
“Yeah,” he pauses. “I wasn’t going to say anything because I didn’t want you to think less of me but while I was preparing for the Olympics, I had a physical and it revealed that I had a blood cut that was traveling towards my lungs. If that hadn’t caught it when they did, I could have died. Anyways, it put some things in perspective for me, namely what an asshole I was to you and some other women during my college days.”
“Wow, well I’m glad you’re okay. And thank you for the apology. I appreciate it. Seriously.”
A smile tinged with relief lights up his face and it hits me that he really did want my apology. “Great, maybe we could get together for coffee sometime?”
“Oh, um I’m dating somebody.”
His face falls. “Oh, yeah right. Sorry.”
Could this be anymore awkward? “Yeah, I have to get going. Take care, Matthew.”
“You too, Ava.”
With that, I turn and walk away my mind whirling a mile a minute. Holy crap. Never in a million years did I think I would run into Matthew King again. And I never expected him to apologize to me.
The Matthew I knew back in college was arrogant and conceited, yet I overlooked those things because I thought there was a good person underneath. Maybe dealing with a health scare really did change him. I hope so. Shaking off those thoughts, I head home first. Showering and changing I pack an overnight bag and soon I’m out the door headed to Liam’s place.
Making a quick detour I stop at the store and grab a few things to make dinner with. I’m sure he’s probably tired and jet lagged so a nice home cooked meal might make him feel better.
Once I have everything, I need I get back on the road and soon I’m pulling into his garage.
I greet the doorman on my way past and punch in the access code for his floor. The doors slide open on his floor and immediately I can tell that something is wrong.
As soon as I step off the elevator, I see a shoe laying in the entry way. Not just any shoe a red stiletto heel that is several inches long.
“Liam?” I call out.
Dread fills my stomach as I sit the bags down on the kitchen counter and walk back down the hallway towards the bedrooms. I pull up short at the sight of Victoria coming out of the opposite bedroom, dressed in nothing but a robe.
The smug smile she gives me guts me.
“Well look who’s here.”
I open my mouth to say something. What? I’m not exactly sure. Just then Liam comes around the corner pulling a shirt over his head.
Nausea swamps me.
This cannot be happening.
He pulls up short at the sight of me and the color drains from his face.
I take a step back.
Victoria leans a shoulder against the door looking smug. So fucking smug I want to wipe that look off her face.
“Babe, it’s not what it looks like” Liam says advancing towards me.
“Don’t lie to the girl Liam, it’s exactly what it looks like.”
“Shut up, Victoria. And put your damn clothes on.”
She snaps something back but I don’t hear it.
I can’t hear past the buzzing in my head.
I feel like I’m going to be sick.
I have to get out of here.
Liam’s in front of me saying something but I don’t understand what.
All I know is I have to get out of here.
I turn on my heel and bolt for the elevators
“Ava, wait!” Liam yells grabbing my arm.
I recoil from him.
“Don’t touch me right now.” My voice is trembling but I can’t seem to stop it.
“Look at me babe. It’s not what it looks like. I swear to you. Just let me explain.” He speaks urgently. But my brain just can’t compute what he’s saying right now.
The elevator doors slide open and he takes a step towards me but I put my hands up in front of me warding him off.
He stops, but the look in his eyes is almost pleading.
For what I’m not exactly sure.
“I-I need to go. Just give me time to think.”
The doors slide closed and, on the ride, down I go completely numb.
Out on the street, I bypass his truck and call a cab trying to scrub the image of Victoria in a robe in Liam’s apartment out of my head.
The tears start to fall and I have no such luck.
Chapter 13
> LIAM
It’s been five days since the incident at my place and Ava still won’t return my calls. After she fled my place, I tried to give her some space. That lasted for about an hour before I tried to track her down. I went to her place, but she wasn’t there. I got in contact with her friend Lisa, but she refused to tell me where she was.
I’ve never been more fucking miserable in my life.
I can’t eat.
I can’t sleep.
Every room in this damn apartment reminds me of her and the time we’ve spent together over the last few weeks.
I’m a fucking mess.
And all because of Victoria. When she showed up at my place unannounced hysterical and crying, I let her in. That was my first mistake.
After she calmed down enough to speak, she spun this story about how the music producer she’s been seeing recently was an asshole. She said in the past, would get overly aggressive with her but he’d never put his hands on her. Until last night. She said she was trying to break up with him for good when he grabbed her arm and tried to shake some sense into her. She was so terrified that once she was able to get away, she ran to the first place she could think off and apparently that was me.
I may not like Victoria, but I couldn’t turn her away, especially when she’d been assaulted. I tried to get her to file a police report, but she refused.
While we were talking, she spilled wine all over the dress she was wearing, so I got her a robe. Then she came on to me. Not once did I ever touch her. But of course, that’s not what she made it look like because she’s evil and vindictive. I should’ve never fell for her act to begin with.
Turns out the story about the music producer being an asshole was true but the part about him putting his hands on her was a load of horseshit. She came clean in a moment of anger when I was going off on her after Ava left. I kicked her out and made it clear if she ever contacts me again, I will file a restraining order on her crazy ass. I think she got the message, but if she didn’t, I will file it with no hesitation.
Lincoln stopped by as Victoria was leaving and got to witness the tale end of the argument.
I spilled my guts about what had just gone down. If anybody knows about dealing with heartbreak, it’s him.
Sitting at my desk at Tempest, I look out over the city before grabbing my phone and calling Ava again. It goes to voicemail.
Cursing under my breath I hang up, throwing the phone down. I miss her so fucking much, I feel like I can’t breathe.
The ache inside of me is so severe, it feels like she took a chunk out of me when she got on that elevator.
Cursing under my breath, I grab my keys and jacket. It’s time I paid my girl a visit.
Chapter 14
AVA
Nothing in my life up to this point could have prepared me for this level of heartbreak. It’s clawed at my insides making me feel like a shell of myself. I never knew I could miss a person so much. I never knew I could need a person so much.
But that’s exactly what it feels like with Liam. Being away from him has opened up a hole inside of me that I’m not sure can be fixed.
After I bolted from his place, I went to Lisa’s place.
I took some time to think and process the situation and it started to dawn on me that maybe Liam was telling the truth. I know I need to hear him out I haven’t worked up the courage to reach out to him yet. The image of Victoria strutting around in that robe is still too fresh in my mind. I don’t want to accuse him of something that didn’t happen.
“Here you go,” Lisa says handing me a pint of strawberry ice cream.
“Thanks.” She and Jayden have been coming over to my place for the past four nights after work trying to cheer me up.
“Hey Av, I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but I think you should hear Liam out.”
“Jay I don’t wanna-“
“Just hear me out okay.”
I shut my mouth.
“Now, I’ve heard stories about this Victoria chick. Word on the street is she’s a vindictive person. Now I don’t know what went down between the two of them, but my gut tells me the guy really loves you. I think you should hear him out. If for no other reason than that the what ifs will haunt you if you don’t.”
I stare down into my carton of ice cream as though it holds all the answers.
I know I need to hear him out and listening to Jayden makes me wonder if I handled this all wrong.
Just then there’s a knock on my door. Getting up from the couch, I go to the door and open it. My breath catches in my throat when I see Liam on the other side.
He looks disheveled. His hair is sticking up all over the place as though he’s run his fingers through it multiple times. His clothes are rumpled and there are bags under his eyes. Despite all that that sight of him still makes my heart race.
He still makes those butterflies in my stomach flutter to life.
Damn him.
“Hi,” I squeak out.
“Hey,” he says his voice husky.
He takes me in from head to toe and I know I must look a mess.
His hands clench together as though he’s trying to restrain himself from something.
“Can I come in?”
“Uh yeah, sure.” I take a step back so he can come in.
“We were just leaving,” Lisa says. She and Jayden exit.
We go sit on the couch.
He blows out a breath running a hand through his hair.
“Nothing happened between me and Victoria.” He then proceeds to tell me the full story, including where she threw herself at him.
When he finishes, we sit there as I process the information. My conversation with Jayden and Lisa replay in my mind along with all the doubts I’d already been having about what I’d initially thought happened between him and Victoria.
Looking at him now, I take the leap and give voice to my thoughts.
“I believe you.”
His head snaps up.
“You do?”
“Yeah. When it first happened, my brain felt like it was imploding. I didn’t know what to do. I needed time to process everything I was seeing. But after thinking about it and hearing you speak; I don’t think you would ever intentionally hurt me.”
He’s off the couch and I’m in his arms before I can take my next breath.
“God, baby, I missed you so much.”
I squeeze him back.
“I missed you too. I love you,” I say pulling back to look into his eyes.
He lowers his head just as I rise up on the tips of my toes. The first brush of our lips has my heart settling back into place.
Liam groans deep in his throat as his arms wrap around my waist. His hands slid down to my ass and squeeze. Instinctively I jump up and wrap my legs around his waist and he wastes no time heading towards my bedroom.
He lays be down on the bed coming over me quickly and pressing his body into mine.
I stare up into his eyes my heart laid bare for him. Suddenly he flips us over so I’m on top of him and I can see the same love shining back at me from under his hooded eyes. In those eyes I see out future laid out in front of us and nothing has ever looked better.
Epilogue 1
LIAM
One year later
“Are you nervous?” Lincoln asks.
I pause in straightening my tie and look at him through the mirror I’m standing in front of as he leans against the wall.
“Nope, I’m about to marry the woman of my dreams” I reply.
Lincoln smirks, a few weeks ago, I would have called you pussy whipped. But now I kind of get were you’re coming from.”
Things have changed drastically in my family over the past year. Not just for me but for my brothers as well.
Shortly after the Victoria situation, I convinced Ava to move in with me. Whenever I had to go on the road Ava and I did the long distance thing. I would send a jet to fly her out to wherever I was at on the weekends. It su
cked but we made it work.
About three months ago, we broke ground on a new nightclub in Paris. It required all my time and energy. There was no way in hell, I was spending weeks at a time away from my girl and luckily, she felt the same. Her boss allowed her a leave of absence and the ability to work remotely. We just got back a little over a month ago and she set to work planning our wedding with the help of my mom, sister, Nat and Lisa.
Levi pokes his head into the room.
“Yo, it’s time to get in place. The girls are ready.”
“You peeked in on them?” Grayson asks.
“Hell yeah, I did,” Levi says unapologetically. His eyes settle on me “Dude, you’re gonna shit yourself when you see Ava.”
My heart picks up speed at the thought of seeing Ava in her wedding dress. “I know she’s gonna look beautiful. I don’t need to see it to know that.”
Gabe rolls his eyes “Enough of this sappy shit. Let’s roll gentleman.”
We make our way out to the area where the ceremony is going to take place. My brothers line up next to me. On Ava’s side Lisa, Jayden are standing there. Natalie, Sarah and Mia who she’s become extremely close with over the past year are also standing up.
The music starts and everybody stands. It’s showtime.
***
I back her into the suite never taking my eyes off hers. The feeling in my chest when I saw her walking down the aisle towards me was indescribable. I was torn between being overcome with emotion and wanting to storm down the aisle, throw her over my shoulder and carry her out of there and up to this hotel suite.
I kick the door shut behind me and stalk her towards the bed. Once she reaches the end she sits down on the edge and I come over her taking her mouth in a deep kiss. We are lips and tongues licking, sucking and biting and a groan slips out of my mouth.
“You have the sweetest fucking mouth,” I mutter pressing my body into hers. Her skin flushes and she pants and writhes against me hardening my dick even further. I make quick work of getting her out of her dress, taking the time to lay it on a chair across from the bed so it doesn’t get ruined. In seconds I’m back on top of her.